Meanwhile, while the King of Knights nursed her hangover from the previous night, the Vassal Kings were plunged into despair upon receiving the resolution.
"That bastard Kay took so much from us! He promised to speak on our behalf, but he still voted in favor of the resolution!"
"Ha! Haven't you heard? Kay was just acting on orders from the Wicked Queen to extort us. She even used the kingdom's future as leverage. What could the Knights do? They could speak for us, but they couldn't ignore reality!"
"What about King Leodegrance? Is he just letting his daughter run wild?"
"He claims he can't control the Wicked Queen. Says she's been headstrong since childhood. He even advised us to comply obediently, warning us about her temper."
"That old bastard! A daughter-obsessed fool! He deserves to have only one daughter!"
"You know he only has the Wicked Queen as his daughter. He'd agree to merge King Leodegrance's territory directly into Camelot if she asked."
As Vassal Kings, these rulers possessed limited numbers of Knights and occasionally recruited Mages, allowing them to communicate across vast distances through Magecraft rituals without needing to meet in person.
Just as Guinevere had anticipated, her oppressive rule had driven most Vassal Kings to band together, strategizing and discussing their options. However, due to Camelot's military might and the recent "complete family annihilation" of one of their own, they had yet to openly discuss rebellion.
The carnage Guinevere had wrought had instilled genuine terror in them.
"King Bors, I ask you—you have connections with the Church, don't you? What's their take on the 'Decline of Mystery' the Wicked Queen keeps mentioning?"
"King Adrice, what are you implying? If the Decline of Mystery is real, are you just going to obey the Wicked Queen's orders?"
"And what, are you planning to refuse?"
In a subterranean chamber, four cloaked Mages stood at the cardinal points, while over a dozen Crystal spheres were arranged around the edge of a Round Table. Within each sphere, the Vassal Kings displayed varied expressions, their gazes all fixed on King Bors, who was being questioned.
As Vassal Kings, their own interests should have come first. However, if Guinevere's predictions of the future proved true, they might be willing to sacrifice their present circumstances.
"If the future disaster is many times worse than the recent snowstorm, I am willing to obey the Wicked Queen's commands."
"King Clydman, are you betraying us? If we blindly obey, the Wicked Queen will slaughter us all."
"King Bors, the Wicked Queen has made her promises again, and I am willing to trust her.
I'm now curious what benefits the Church has offered you, that you would not only promote the title 'Wicked Queen' but also defy her orders, even at the risk of your territory's future.
Have you forgotten how deeply the Church has meddled in the affairs of the Kings across continental Europe?
Do you want the Church to control every aspect of your realm, from your coronation to every detail of governance?"
Even in the British Isles, where the Church's influence was weaker, the King of Knights had formally sought investiture from the Bishop of the time during their coronation and sent envoys to the Pope on the European mainland.
The Camelot Kingdom was the Vassal Kings' enemy, and the insatiably greedy Church was no less of one.
King Clydman, his hair streaked with gray and his gaze icy, spoke these words. Instantly, over half the Vassal Kings' eyes shifted as they looked at King Bors. King Adrice, who had first posed the question, interjected to smooth things over:
"King Bors, selling out your kingdom is your own affair. Answer my question: what is the Church's view on the Decline of Mystery?"
Within the crystal sphere, only a single face was visible. King Bors, already drenched in sweat, froze in panic. Just as he was about to stammer a response, someone shoved his corpulent frame aside. A man in a black clerical robe stepped into view, replacing him in the crystal sphere.
"Greetings, esteemed lords. I am Priest Andrew Godbibak of the Holy Church."
His voice, resonant and youthful, carried the oppressive weight of authority. What truly silenced the Vassal Kings was the man's face: though seemingly featureless, it shifted with each glance, revealing different facial features, leaving them in unnerved awe.
"Though you are merely provincial Vassal Kings from the backwoods, you are still kings. Surely you've heard of the Holy Church—and of my name?"
The man calling himself Andrew exuded confidence, but he was destined for disappointment. After all, the Holy Church was a secretive organization at best, and Great Britain was truly a backwater.
In this backwater, the title of "Vassal King" might sound grand, but their actual territory rarely rivaled that of a powerful baron on the European mainland.
Among the dozen or so Vassal Kings attending the meeting, more than half had never even heard of the Holy Church, let alone the name of its radical faction.
Andrew had come for the mages gathering in Camelot, planning a direct assault on the Magecraft Department under construction. However, the Archbishop of Canterbury in Camelot City refused to cooperate, even declaring that they were seeking their own deaths.
Subsequently, this self-proclaimed radical Priest abandoned his radicalism. He first spent time investigating the strengths of Camelot's Knights, and during this delay, he finally learned of Lancelot's legendary exploits in Gaul.
Deeply shaken, the Reverend Priest abandoned his plans for a pointless suicide mission. Instead, he resolved to adopt a long-term strategy, aiming to solve the problem at its root.
For example, by directly plotting the downfall of the entire Camelot Kingdom. Once the Kingdom collapsed, the so-called Magecraft Department would cease to exist.
The conflicts between the Kingdom and its Vassal Kings, coupled with the looming decline of Mystery in Great Britain, presented the Reverend Priest with clear opportunities for manipulation.
The rapid spread of rumors about the Wicked Queen was partly due to his own efforts to fan the flames. However, Guinevere had proven remarkably adept at "swaying public opinion."
After the missionary's initial probe was rebuffed, he dared not press the Secular Church to commit.
"Hmph, we have no interest in those who hide their true colors. I care not what Church you belong to—get out of Great Britain!"
At last, a Vassal King's voice echoed through the crystal ball. Limited by their individual perspectives, the Vassal Kings quickly divided into two factions. Some even gestured to their subordinates, preparing to sell the Reverend Priest for a handsome sum.
Guinevere, knowing full well that the Vassal Kings would conspire, seized the opportunity Kay's extortion provided to plant a few spies among them.
It seemed the Reverend Priest was overconfident, unaware that he lacked the charisma to make the Vassal Kings kneel before him.
Yet he possessed such power.
"Do you not yearn to embrace the Lord while still alive?"
The crystal ball required human operators at both ends—the transmitting and receiving ends. To the untrained eye, there was no discernible difference between Mages and priests.
Apart from the four Mages in the basement who were actually priests guarding the Vassal Kings, even the 'Mages' in their mage robes serving the Vassal Kings were also priests.
If the Reverend Priest hadn't deliberately sent these agents to the Vassal Kings' doors, how could all of them have hired Mages capable of using the same communication 'Magecraft' at nearly the same time?
Having decided to play the long game and target the Vassal Kings, this high-ranking figure in the Holy Church naturally made every preparation he could.
And because he was playing the long game, he didn't plan to abandon the Vassal Kings immediately after securing control over them.
First, he would comply with Guinevere's orders, caring little about how much wealth the Vassal Kings might lose in the process.
Opportunity favors the prepared.
But...
Having never heard that Guinevere could see the future, he remained wary of Merlin, who he knew could.
"Has that old fool seen our interference in Great Britain's future? What will he do?"